India hosts cancer experts from Bimstec member states for key meeting

The initiative will provide a boost to Bimstec cooperation in the health sector by widening the reach of cancer control activities in the region and further strengthen the larger partnership under the grouping

India hosted senior cancer physicians and policy-makers from Bimstec countries for the National Cancer Grid (NCG)’s annual meeting in Mumbai as part of efforts to strengthen regional cooperation in the field of health.

The initiative is another step towards strengthening regional cooperation in the field of health among the Bimstec countries. (Representative file photo)

With the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (Saarc) largely moribund for nearly the past decade, India has turned to Bimstec, which gathers Bangladesh, Bhutan, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Thailand, to drive regional cooperation.

The cancer physicians and policy-makers from Bimstec countries joined the NCG meeting at the Tata Memorial Hospital in Mumbai during November 6-8, the external affairs ministry said on Wednesday. The NCG is a collaborative network of more than 360 cancer centres, research institutes, patient groups and professional societies from India and 15 other countries.

“The initiative is another step towards strengthening regional cooperation in the field of health among the Bimstec countries,” the ministry said.

The initiative will provide a boost to Bimstec cooperation in the health sector by widening the reach of cancer control activities in the region and further strengthen the larger partnership under the grouping, it said.

The NCG meeting sought to familiarise participants with the organisation’s activities and to provide first-hand experience of cancer control. It had a diverse agenda highlighting several NCG initiatives and included brainstorming sessions focused on future initiatives.

During the meeting, several collaborative initiatives were discussed, including participation in Virtual Tumor Boards, capacity building for workforce development, assistance with cancer registries, and twinning of cancer centres.